Nova Initia
by FieryCaptainSpiderSanta
Summary: My father is still alive. I left my only living family behind. My powers are weakening. Could life be any worse for me? Oh, wait, I'm also a mercenary, one, with SHIELD working against me. Yeah, my life is just great. *Sequel to Nocte*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Okay, I was way to impatient to wait for you all to vote, so I just posted the sequel. I'll change the title when you all vote on it! I hope you all like it!**

 **Oh, and you know that sneak peek I showed you all? Well, I changed the story a bit, so think of more like the opening I had at the very beginning of Nocte.**

 **Oh, I suggest listening to Good Girl, by Lily Kershaw, while reading this. I was listening to it while writing, so a lot of my ideas for this chapter came from that.**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

Two years. That's how long it's been since I left the Avengers, Loki, and was for the better, but my life has taken a turn for the worse. I had no family, nowhere to stay, nothing. Well, I did have a lot of money.

Money I got from killing people.

I had had to resort to being a mercenary, just to get enough money to survive. I made sure to get jobs that would keep me away from the others. Because I couldn't face them. Not with the life I had taken on. Besides, they were heroes. They would probably have to stop me. And, I _needed_ to find my dad. I couldn't do that with them on my tail.

I was currently up on one of the roofs of a random skyscraper in New York City. I know, I should have probably left here, but the pickings for a job here were really easy, and the most evil in the world usually happens right around here. I figured that would be a good sign, considering I was hunting my father, Evil.

I really missed hanging out with the others. Life was just so... _dull_ right now. Living with the Avengers, that pretty much never happened. Suddenly, I heard a familiar sound. It was Tony's Iron Man suit flying. He was coming near here. They had all been doing patrols almost nightly. I knew that they were looking for me, even though I told them not to. I used the shadows to cover me. I wanted nothing more than to call out to him, to go home. But, I couldn't. That didn't mean that I didn't want to say goodbye, or thank them and apologize in person. There was still so much that I had to say to them, that I couldn't convey through the note I left them. I felt tears roll down my cheeks, and an intense hatred in my heart for my father. He stole everything from me. He was the reason I had had to kill Mortem. He almost killed my family. He was the reason I had left them all behind. And I would kill him for it. I was no longer fighting for the good of the universe. I was out for revenge.

* * *

I spun around, sensing someone behind me. There was Spider-Man, just standing there. I glared at him. "You here to take me in?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. What did you expect? You've been killing people for money."

"You think I wanted this life?!" I spat. Then, I smirked. "You would never be able to get me in, anyway."

"I know. But, still. You can't just kill people for money. That's not who you are."

I narrowed my eyes. "And who do you think I am?"

"I think you're the kind of person who will keep fighting until the end. The kind that will give their lives for the ones they love. You fight because you have to, but you wouldn't actually kill anyone."

I snorted. "I may have been like that, once."

I could tell his eyebrow raised, from the way his mask shifted. "Oh? How are you like, then?"

I was about to say something, when some song lyrics popped into my head.

" _Well you'll draw your gun like you've drawn me  
But the truth is I've been dead for weeks  
The girl you knew is gone_

 _I've been out and up to no good, pulling fire alarms_

 _Living fast, and free, and I am young_

 _I'm going down, down, down  
I'll dig my own shallow grave  
I'm going down, down, down  
Good girls aren't supposed to misbehave_

 _I'm going down, down, down  
I'll dig my own shallow grave  
I'm going down, down, down  
Good girls aren't supposed to misbehave  
I'm not a good girl anyway  
(Down, down down down)  
I'm not a good girl anyway  
Down, down, down_"

"Really?" Spidey asked. I shrugged, like 'what can I do?' "Listen, I know I'll never get you into SHIELD, but just... Remember why you fight. Why we all fight."

Before I could ask him what he meant, Spider-Man was swinging away on his webs.

I shook my head, and went to my cave.

When I showed up, I was met by a very unpleasant surprise.

"Malum," I growled. "What do you want?"

My father just laughed. "Why, to see how my favorite daughter is doing, of course. How's the job going? And your powers? I see you finally ditched those little pests you call friends."

He hit a sore spot with that. My powers had been weakening recently, and nothing I did seemed to help. "No thanks to you." I spat. "They were my family. You made me leave everything I love behind. You made me a ruthless killer, and now, I will destroy you for it!"

I leaped forward, swords pressed against his neck. Malum just laughed, then disappeared. I growled, and threw a shadow knife at the wall as hard as I could. All this time, he finally shows up, and I don't kill him. Ugh! Why was this so difficult? I lay down on my bed, and fell into a restless sleep.

 **A/N- Yay! End of chapter 1! Hope you all liked it! Please fave, follow, review, and PM me. Until next time, peepsicles!**

 **Oh, so school is going to be starting up soon, so the updates may be coming up more randomly, and I'm also moving, so that may have an effect on it. So sorry about that, you guys. Please, just bear with me. I'm doing my best, here! Remember, I love hearing from you! Review, fave, follow, and PM me.**

 **By the way, I was rambling, so this story could be exactly 1,111 words long. Burritos!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Okay people, this is the last chapter you all get until all the votes have come in for the title. I'm either going to end it when I get at least 10 votes (right now there are 6) or on September 20th (where I am, it's August 25th. Have fun with that!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

I slunk into my target's 'safe house'. I scoffed. If you're hiding from Night, don't hide somewhere dark! I used the shadows to hide me, sliding past the guards. Ha, they didn't even know I was there. Smiling, I walked right up behind my target. I stabbed him through the heat with my sword, and grabbed his body as it fell. I smirked at all of his guards.

"You're really bad at your job." I said, before taking the body, and leaving.

I reappeared at my current employer's headquarters, and let the body drop in front of him. I smirked as he flinched. "Dead enough for you?"

He sat up, and nodded. "Here. Three grand." He pushed the money over to me.

I scowled. "We agreed on five. Where's the other two thousand dollars you owe me?"

My employer shook his head. "Three grand. The deal was, you take care of him, and the body. I don't believe that-" he gestured to the dead body "-doesn't look taken care of."

I growled, and stabbed a knife into the table. I snapped my fingers, and the body disappeared. "There. Now, give me my money, before you make the world's best assassin your enemy."

He nodded quickly, and slid the money over to me. I smiled. "Very good. I hope to do business with you again."

I used the shadows to take me away.

I was walking through the park, when I saw firetrucks roll by, their sirens screaming. I didn't have anything else to do, so I followed it, figuring I might be able to help out a bit. The trucks went to a building a few blocks off of Broadway, to a flaming apartment complex. It didn't take the firemen long to evacuate everyone, but there was a screaming mother trying to get back in the building. I ran out, taking this as my cue. "What floor?"

"Third," she whimpered.

The fireman helping her looked at me like I was crazy. "You can't go in there, kid."

I smirked. "Eh, I've faced worse than a little fire. Someone had to do it."

Before anyone could stop me, I shadow-leaped up to the third floor, and started calling out for her. I found the little girl- no older than six- curled up in a closet, trembling from fear. She launched herself at me, grabbing on with everything she had. I murmured in her ear, telling her that everything would be okay. I didn't have enough shadows to leap us out, but I could put a small shield around her. Looking around,I saw a window nearby. It was the only exit left, so I jumped out, rolling when I hour the ground, using my body to shield the girl from the impact. I came to my feet, and set the girl down. Her mother came running over, saying thank you over and over.

I waved the praise off. "It was nothing."

I was startled when the girl hugged me. I looked down, and saw her staring up with wide, adoring eyes. "Thank you, Nocte."

I gave her a confused smile. "Of course. How do you know my name?"

"You live with the Avengers. You help fight bad guys!" She frowned. "Well, you used to. Why don't you, anymore?"

My smile became sad, and I crouched down to look her in the eyes. "Well, I still fight a bad guy. He's my daddy, and he is very evil. But, the Avengers- my family- kept getting hurt while they were helping me. I didn't want them to get hurt, so I fight my daddy alone, now."

She gave me a confused look. "But, you shouldn't. If they are your family, they should help you. That's what families are for. To help you, even if you don't want them to. What if they get even more hurt without you there?"

I was silent. She was, of course, right. I just felt like it was more complicated than that. I took a deep breath. "Listen, I have to go. You just be careful, and stay with your mommy, okay?"

"Okay!" The little girl skipped happily over to her mom, and I leaped home.

I thought about my conversation with the little girl. Peter's words also bounced around in my brain. R _emember why you fight. Why we all fight._ I popped in my earbuds, and turned on my iPod. I knew what I had to do. The song that came on just reinforced this, and I started singing. The upbeat tempo gave me energy, and I started dancing, as well.

" _Like a small boat_

 _On the ocean_

 _Sending big waves_

 _Into motion_

 _Like how a single word_

 _Can make a heart open_

 _I might only have one match  
_

 _But I can make an explosion_

 _And all those things I didn't say_

 _Wrecking balls inside my brain_

 _I will scream them loud tonight  
_

 _Can you hear my voice this time?_

 _This is my fight song_

 _Take back my life song_

 _Prove I'm alright song_

 _My power's turned on_

 _Starting right now I'll be strong_

 _I'll play my fight song_

 _And I don't really care if nobody else believes_

 _'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me_

 _Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep_

 _Everybody's worried about me_

 _In too deep  
_

 _Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)_

 _And it's been two years_

 _I miss my home  
_

 _But there's a fire burning in my bones_

 _Still believe_

 _Yeah, I still believe_

 _And all those things I didn't say_

 _Wrecking balls inside my brain_

 _I will scream them loud tonight  
_

 _Can you hear my voice this time?_

 _This is my fight song_

 _Take back my life song  
_

 _Prove I'm alright song_

 _My power's turned on  
_

 _Starting right now I'll be strong_

 _I'll play my fight song_

 _And I don't really care if nobody else believes_

 _'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me  
_

 _A lot of fight left in me  
_

 _Like a small boat_

 _On the ocean_

 _Sending big waves_

 _Into motion_

 _Like how a single word  
_

 _Can make a heart open_

 _I might only have one match_

 _But I can make an explosion_

 _This is my fight song (Hey!)_

 _Take back my life song (Hey!)  
_

 _Prove I'm alright song (Hey!)_

 _My power's turned on  
_

 _Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)  
_

 _I'll play my fight song  
_

 _And I don't really care if nobody else believes  
_

 _'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me.  
_

 _No I've still got a lot of fight left in me._ "

 **A/N- Okay, I have this music playlist full of a bunch of songs that I really like, that I have to listen to, or else the story ends out being really really dark. So, that's why I keep putting song lyrics in.**

 **Anyway, remember, _FOUR MORE VOTES_ , then I can post the next chapter! Anyway, review, fave, follow, and PM me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- I'm waaaaaay too impatient for my own good. BUT I WILL MAKE YOU WAIT AFTER THIS! I just really really really wanted to post this chapter.**

 **Oh, and you know that Playlist I said I had to listen to?**

 **I want listening to it.**

 **MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

I walked into Stark Tower, a small smile on my face.

"Welcome home, Ms. Nocte. Shall I alert the others to your presence?" JARVIS greeted me.

I shook my head. "Hey, JARVIS. Good to be back. Uh, no. Don't tell the others. I want to surprise them."

"Very well, Ms. Nocte. They are all on the hangout floor."

"Thanks, J." I walked over to the elevator, and nodded to the receptionist. She nodded back, and went back to her job. I stepped in, and pushed the button that would take me to the hangout floor. When I got there, I saw everyone but Tony sitting on the couch. They were watching a movie. I walked out of the elevator, and put my hands out in a 'w' shape.

"Don't tell me you started Movie Night without me!" I said, alerting them to my presence. Everyone jumped, and spun around. There were hugs, and hellos, and welcome backs all around. Well, except for Loki. That's just not his thing. When Tony came back, I got it all over again from him.

"So, what've you been up to, Nikki?" Tony asked.

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could say anything, I heard a voice behind me. "Who's this kid?"

I was startled, and my first instinct was to fight. I spun around, and pressed my sword to the offender's throat. He yelped, the disappeared. I looked around for him, but I didn't see him. Suddenly, I was flipped over. I growled, spinning in the air to land on my feet. The little bastard shrunk. I used the shadows to pinpoint his location, and grabbed him. I held him in my fist, and inspected the shrunken man. He had a red and darkish gray suit on, with a helmet that almost looked like an ant. I laughed, and set him down. "'Sup, Scott?"

He grew to a normal size, and smiled at me. "Oh! Nocte! Not much. I joined the Avengers. Don't have to steal anymore. What about you?"

I shrugged. "Well, I quit my little job, and came here."

The others were looking between us. Clint was the first to speak. "Wait, you guys know each other?"

I nodded. "Yep. I met him when I was on a job. Helped him out a bit. Almost killed him."

He snorted. "Yeah, and caused me a ton of emotional trauma."

I grinned. "Hey, just be glad it was only one of my new Metaphoric Daggers."

"Metaphoric Dagger?" Steve asked.

"I found out that I can also control dark emotions. Fear, pain, anger. They act like darkness, they're the demons of the mind," I explained. "I can harness the power from them in the form of daggers, and attack my opponent emotionally, instead of just physically."

The others nodded, before Natasha spoke up. "Wait, you said you met him on a job. What kind of job brings you in the path of a hero?"

I chewed my lip. I really didn't want to tell them about my old job. But, I _really_ didn't want to lie to them, either. I sighed, deciding to be honest. "Hasn't SHIELD told you? I'm the world's newest and best mercenary."

" _What?_ " No one seemed more surprised than Steve. "Why?"

I looked away. "I didn't really have any other choice. Someone recognized me from fighting Malum. I was hired to kill someone. I kept doing it, up until very recently. Actually, my last job was yesterday."

Everyone looked at me with a mixture of sadness and anger. We were all silent for a while. It was, of course, Tony who broke the silence.

"Cool!" Tony said. "Can we get back to the movie?"

I held up my hand. "Wait. I want to say that I'm only coming back on one condition. You don't help me on missions anymore, unless I very specifically say that I need help. Got it?"

The others seemed like they wanted to protest, but the look I gave everyone made it clear that I was serious. They all nodded, and I smiled, flopping down on the couch. "Good. Fire it up!"

* * *

I sat on the roof, well after the movie ended. I looked over at the city, happy to be back at the Tower. Nothing really compared to this view, or hanging out with a bunch of superheroes. I didn't realize how much I really missed all of it. I sighed, and rested my chin on my hands, elbows in my lap.

That is, until I heard Thor yelling.

I ran downstairs, to see Thor about to strike down my brother, Mortem.

Wait.

What?

No.

It can't be.

 _What?!_

"Mortem?!" I said. "Thor, stop! That's my fucking brother!"

They both looked up at me. Thor glanced between me and my brother, before stepping back, lowering the arm that held Mjolnir. He looked at me, with a confused expression. "I thought your brother perished in battle, by your hand?"

I nodded, looking at Mortem with a cautious wonder. "He did. I killed him." I faced my supposed brother. "So, how can you be here? Are you my brother?"

He smirked. "Knock knock."

I smiled. If this really was him, I knew exactly how this would play out. "Who's there?"

"Not Michelle!" Mortem and I finished at the same time, pointing to each other. I hugged my brother tight.

"It really is you! Oh my god! How are you alive?"

Mortem smirked again. "You really thought it would be that easy to kill me?"

The others came down, apparently late responding to Thor. Tony eyed my brother suspiciously. "Who's this kid?"

"Right," I said, realizing that only Clint had met Mortem. "Everyone, this is Mortem. Uh, Hawkeye, you remember my brother, right?"

He nodded, bow still drawn. "I thought he was evil? And more... dead."

The others looked to Clint, disbelieving. "When did you meet her brother?" Natasha asked.

"We had an unpleasant run-in a while back." Clint replied.

Mortem glared at him. "Oh, yeah. Birdbrain."

I sighed, and rubbed my temples. "Hey, can we try not to kill each other? Please?"

The two continued to glare, but the others put down their weapons. Tony looked around at us all. "So... Who wants a snack? Nocte, are you cooking?"

I laughed. "Sure, Tony. At least I won't burn down the tower."

The others snorted, while Tony let out an indignant "Hey!"

Yeah, it was good to be back with my family.

(Third Person POV)

Bellum walked into the tower, returning from a fight with Malum. There were tears running down her face. The others ran over to see the broken and bloody body that she held in her arms. They looked up, grief and confusion on their faces.

"It was a trap. She died protecting us. She sacrificed herself, so that the troops and I could get out," the teary-eyed girl said.

The others cried, mourning the loss of an amazing warrior, and a great, powerful young girl.

A funeral was held, and more people came than the cemetery could hold. The girl's family weeped, and felt a silent anger, that everyone else in this cemetery was simply there because the family was. Because the girl fought in a battle in New York City. They didn't care that a wonderful life was lost. They only cared that a hero fell, and the others were here mourning. They wanted to be shown on the news networks, from the reporters that were swarming the funeral. It was sick.

The funeral eventually ended, and the girl's family were the last to leave. One girl hesitated, and looked over her shoulder, at the newly placed gravestone.

"Goodbye, Nocte," she whispered, before leaving with the others.

 **A/N- Yeah, I really liked this chapter, in a sadistic kind of way. You all hate me now, don't you? Yeah, I'm evil, aren't I? Review, fave, follow, and PM me. And remember to VOTE! TEN IS THE MAGIC NUMBER!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Polls are closed! You have all voted on a name! Personally, Nova Initia was my favorite as well, but I wanted to leave it up to all of you.**

 **I updated a day early because the new season of Doctor Who airs today, making me feel very happy and giving. You're welcome. (The chapter itself was unaffected by my happiness, being as I've had it written out since a week after I posted the last chapter. Sorry about that.)**

 **Anyway, you have all waited LONG ENOUGH! I left you all absolutely hating me on the last chapter! So, here's another one for you! Sorry it's short. I couldn't really come up with any ideas for it, being as I want to wait a few chapters for the big idea I got. Don't worry, though, I had my playlist going during this one ;P**

 **By the way, the rest of this will be in Third-Person POV. Because I don't know whose POV it should be in, being as the main character- the inspiration for the entire series- is dead. (Remind me why I did that again?!)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

Everyone sat on the couch, looking forlorn. Bellum looked hopelessly to Mortem. "You really haven't felt _anything?_ "

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "Nothing. She hasn't come back. I would have felt something by now, if she did. It could just be that she wanted to stay dead."

"Why would she want that? Why would _anyone_ want that?" Tony asked.

Mortem shrugged. "Living forever... It takes a toll. Seeing your friends and family, those you love, grow old and die, while you don't age at all? It hurts. It hurts a lot. I know that from first-hand experience. So... yeah. I can understand her wanting to be dead."

"So you think that it's good she died!" Steve bristled. "You're _happy?!_ "

Mortem looked offended by this. "Of course not! I miss her just as much as you all do! I'm just saying that I _understand her decision._ I almost made it myself. But, that doesn't mean that I don't still want her to be here."

Bellum stood up, her hands out. "Listen, we can sit here, and keep turning on each other, or we can actually _do_ something. Nocte died fighting Malum. She was _killed_ by him, without mercy. I say we return the favor."

Ant-Man raised his hand. "Listen, this revenge thing sound great and all, and I _do_ want to get this guy back for killing Nocte, because she was a cool kid, and _way_ too young to die, but... one question. _Who_ are we fighting?"

"Malum is Nocte's father. Basically, he's the definition of evil. Big, satanic guy." Clint explained.

"Actually," Mortem said, "Satan, along with all the other 'beasts' in religion, were _based_ off my father."

"Right." Natasha began. "I agree that we have to keep fighting- and not just for revenge. But, do you not remember the last time we tried to fight him? Not only did _we_ almost die, but Nocte actually did."

The others nodded, thinking.

"We'll come up with something," Tony said. "We're the Avengers. You can be damn sure we'll avenge her."

* * *

 **A/N- I thought about ending it here, and making you wait longer. Be glad that I'm not feeling _too_ evil... ;P**

They all fought, continually trying to kill Malum. It was no use. The Avengers- with the additional, honorary members being Mortem, Bellum, and even Loki- just couldn't beat him. Nocte had been the most powerful, the best fighter. When they weren't fighting, she was the peacekeeper, the life of the tower. Everything was starting to fall apart without her there. Even when she had left for two years, just knowing that she was alive was enough to keep the Avengers together and fighting. Now, they were starting to loose hope. They were starting to fall apart.

"You are so irresponsible, Tony!" Steve shouted.

"I'm sorry, I just feel like things shouldn't always be so damn fucking depressing all the time!" Tony yelled back.

"Would you idiots all just _shut up_!" Natasha screamed. The usually level-headed super-spy had began to loose her temper a lot more recently. "You are constantly fighting!"

"Oh, like you're any better!" Clint retorted. "You're a spy, I thought you were able to control your emotions? All you do recently is scream at people!"

"I say you all need to chill out!" Bruce said. He started to grow a bit, and Bellum, one of the three people in control of themselves, other than Mortem and Loki, led him away from the others, before he Hulked out. Mortem was attempting to play peacekeeper, but failing. Thor had just disappeared, probably staying in his room. Loki was standing back, torn between his enjoyment at watching the chaos unfold, and wanting to keep the others together for the sake of Nocte's memory.

"HEY!" Mortem had finally lost his cool. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE TEARING THIS TEAM APART! THIS PATHETIC WORLD FUCKING NEEDS YOU ALL!" He took a deep breath. "And what about Nocte? Would she really want all of you fighting like this?

The others shut up, but continued glaring at each other. Mortem sighed dejectedly. "What about this: we all obviously need some time to cool off. Why don't we all just go our separate ways, make sure we have a way to keep in contact, and I'll send a message out once Bellum and I come up with a real plan?"

The others nodded, and the Avengers disassembled...

 **A/N- Wow. Apparently, I'm feeling really kinda evil recently. Well, in all fairness, when I wrote this chapter, school had just started back up. I had a test on my fourth day back! (Damn math...)**

 **OK, so, do you guys remember when I told you all that my school has Loki colors? Well, it just got, like, ten times better. We also have Voldemort (my homeroom teacher -he's a super mean art teacher, so my Spanish teacher calls him Voldemort) and my English teacher literally looks like Hagrid.**

 **Anyway, until next time! Fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- I was going to wait a while before I wrote the chapter with my big huge idea in it. But, I couldn't write another filler. So celebrate, my friends! I couldn't wait to post for you all again!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

She opened her eyes, and saw only darkness. She couldn't remember how she got there, or even where she was. There was no so other than her breathing and her blood pumping in her ears. It was strange. She felt... different. Like she wasn't in her own body anymore. She reached out in front of her, and felt only smooth wood. She felt a cushion against her back, and realized that she was laying down.

Suddenly the memories came flooding back. She realized who she was. She was Nocte. And she had died, but now she was back.

* * *

I looked around, and realized that I was in a coffin. Which made a bit of sense- I _had_ died, after all. But, Mortem and Bellum knew that I always came back. I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to be wondering that. What I _was_ wondering about was why I felt different. It didn't make any sense. I've never felt this way before, so why now? This certainly wasn't my first time dying.

I sighed, and decided to go to the Avengers Tower.

Hold on.

I remembered them.

I shouldn't remember them.

If I died, all my memories of my previous life should be gone. I shouldn't remember the Avengers, but I did.

That meant that something must be wrong with Mortem's powers. Although, that would explain why I felt weird. Although, honestly, I was kind of glad that I didn't forget them. They were my family.

I smiled to myself, and used the shadows to take me to the Avengers Tower.

* * *

I showed up in Tony's lab, where he was working on one of his suits. He hadn't noticed me yet, which honestly wasn't that surprising. I stepped out of the shadows, and let him know I was here. "Hey, what're you working on?"

Tony jumped, and spun to face me. "Who're you?" he asked.

I gave him a confused look. "Tony, you know exactly who I am. I lived here for almost a year."

"Listen, I would have known if you had been living here for a year. So, who the hell are you?" He looked me over. "And, are you available?"

"Eww! Tony! Shut up! I'm, like, thirteen!" Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. "Sh*t! That explains it! Tony, give me a mirror!"

He gave me a strange look, but handed me a mirror nonetheless. (Where he got it, I have no idea.) I looked at my reflection, and my suspicions were confirmed. That explained why I felt so different, and why Tony didn't recognize me. Gazing back at me was a woman, about twenty, with long, wavy black hair. My skin was still tanned, but it was smoother than before. My face didn't look the same, but overall, I was beautiful. Which also explained why Tony hit on me. "Wow. I look good. I don't know why I chose to look like this, but I can't say I'm that disappointed."

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

I laughed. "It's me, Nocte. My body changed when I died."

Tony looked me over again. "Oh. Sorry about earlier, then."

"Yeah," I said, wincing. "That was weird. Anyway, where are the others?"

"Oh, uh," Tony rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, we kind of... disbanded."

"WHAT?!" I yelled.

Tony winced, wary of my temper. "Well, Natasha, Clint, and Steve are with SHIELD, Bruce is somewhere in the Middle East, Thor had to take Loki back to Asgard, I don't know where Mortem and Bellum went, and I stayed here."

I took a deep breath, still seething. "And why, may I ask, did you disband?"

"We were all arguing," he admitted. "We couldn't handle it after you died. So, we decided it would be better if we broke apart."

I wrinkled my brow. "Wait, this wouldn't have happened overnight. How long have I been... out?"

"About three years." Tony replied.

I was surprised. "Huh. Well, that's a new record. Something is definitely wrong with Mortem, then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I explained, "When I woke up, I looked different. That rarely happens. I also remembered all of you. Another thing that never happens. And now, it took me three years to resurrect, whereas it usually only takes me a few months." I looked out the window, off into the city. "I hope he's okay."

Tony shrugged. "Well, he was okay last time I saw him."

I looked back at Tony, and replied dryly. "Oh, you mean three years ago? You do realize that pretty much anything could have happened in that time, right?"

Something popped in my head, and the idea of it excited me. "Oh! Oh! Shut up!"

Tony looked at me like I was crazy. "Uhm, I didn't say any-"

"I said shaddup!" I grabbed his shoulders. "You said that you all disbanded because I wasn't around anymore, right?"

Tony nodded, careful not to say anything.

I smiled like a maniac. "Well, I'm not gone anymore, am I?" I didn't wait for a reply, before I dragged him into the shadows, yelling "Then let's go get the others!"

 **A/N- Yeah, yeah, I know, it's another short chapter. But, my cousins are coming soon, so I wanted to wrap this up while the idea was still in my brain. By the way, I've been watching a LOT of Doctor Who recently, which is where the idea for her changing came from. (Oh, and shout out to the person who can guess who I had in mind from that show, when I was writing Nocte's behavior in that last part!)**

 **I've also been, like, obsessed with Seraph of the End recently. Even if you don't know what that is, I suggest looking up Seraph of the End opening theme on YouTube. It is amazing!**

 **Anyway, I'm done. Fave, follow, review, and PM me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- I would just like to point out that, somehow, both Chapter 4** ** _and_** **Chapter 5 ended out at** ** _exactly_** **1,064 words, each! No idea how that happened, but it was pretty cool, and I had to share it with you all!**

 **Anyway, in completely unrelated news, has anyone been watching the newest season of Doctor Who?! IT IS AMAZING! I love Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. (Although, David Tennant is still my favorite) I LOVE IT!**

 **Ahem *clears throat* moving on. Let's get on with the story, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

I looked around the small town. I was with Tony in Qasr al-Farafra, Egypt. According to him, this was where Bruce was currently living. The doctor would probably be hiding in some obscure corner of the town, helping where he could. I was standing in the center of the town, where the markets were. Glancing around, I noticed immediately that Bruce wasn't here. Sighing, I turned to Tony.

"He's not here." I said.

Tony nodded weakly. It was- according to him- extremely hot here. I didn't really notice anything, but temperature had never really been a problem for me, so I could run around this place in a parka, and not break a sweat. Although Tony- being Tony, of course- was blowing the problem way out of the water. I chuckled as he began acting like a complete drama queen.

"Okay, you are pathetic," I laughed. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes!" Tony gasped. "Not all of us have magic that keeps us from feeling temperature!"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not my powers. They are restricted to shadows only. That's just my superior Primordial biology. So mleah!" I stuck my tongue out at him in a very childish way.

Tony just shook his head. "You know, you're twenty now, but you still act like you're thirteen."

"Technically, I'm billions of years old, and can therefore act however I wish." I pointed out. I closed my eyes, feeling for the shadows, reaching out to them to tell me where Bruce was. I found him, and cried out in triumph, opening my eyes. "Found him! Let's go!"

I grabbed Tony by the arm, and dragged him through the town. We ran around the corner, and almost smacked into someone, if it weren't for my amazing ability to break, and drag Tony backwards. I immediately began to apologize, before noticing who, exactly, I was talking to, and promptly hugging them. "Bruce! Yay, we found you! I'm so glad, I swear, Tony was about to die from this heat."

Bruce took a step back, and looked at me like I was crazy, before glancing to Tony. "Another one-night stand? Really? This one's especially crazy."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, insulted. "I am not Tony's one-night stand! That is extremely disgusting!" I pouted. "You really can't recognize me? I must have really changed since I died."

Bruce looked me over closer. He made a surprised face, and looked to Tony. "Is it really her?"

"Of course it's me!" I said gesturing to myself. "I may have died three years ago, but I'd hope that you could still recognize me as a twenty-year-old!"

Bruce nodded, chuckling. "Yep, definitely Nocte. So, I'm assuming this means we're re-assembling the Avengers. Where are the others?"

Tony and I shared a glance. "Weeeeellll," I said, "You're our first stop. We kinda figured you'd be the easiest to win back over. That, and we'll probably need all the others to break Loki back out of prison."

The men looked at me in surprise at the mention of breaking Loki out. I shrugged. "What? His magic and wits are essential to taking down my father. Anyway, we should probably head out, and find the others. Let's go!"

With that, I dragged Tony and Bruce into the shadows in search of Natasha, Steve, and Clint.

 **A/N- Yay! They found Bruce!**

 **I'm sorry this is short, but I'm really tired right now, and I _did_ really want to get this chapter to you. They may end out shorter, only because I only want to do one or two Avengers per chapter, until they're all together. Again, I'm sorry about that.**

 **I probably would have updated this yesterday, but I had to go to a football game with the marching band at the school I'll be going to next year, (they made us do it so we 8th-graders could get first-hand experience as part of the marching band) and I ended out TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED! So yeah, I had to finish this out tonight, and post it for all of you! You're welcome! You can thank me by reviewing, faving, following, and PMing me!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- OMG, did anyone watch the lunar eclipse?! It was amazing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

I slammed the door to Fury's office open, ignoring the agents that I had terrified on my way down the hall, and Tony and Bruce who were trailing behind me. My foul mood was causing tentacles of shadows to swirl around me, lashing out at anyone who got too close. The area around me was considerably darker, and about twenty degrees cooler, but Fury took no notice. Actually, he didn't even look up from the reports he was reading. I smacked my fists down on the desk, and yelled. "Fury! Where are they?!"

Still not looking up, he responded in an even tone, not perturbed in the least by my anger. "Who?"

"You know exactly who," I growled, the area around me getting even darker and colder, the shadows swirling harder. "Now, where are they?"

"Siberia," Fury answered simply. "Can you go now?"

Growling again, I threw a knife millimeters from his left ear, before stalking into the shadows, forgetting about Tony and Bruce. It didn't matter. They would probably hold me back, anyway.

I shivered in the cold of Northern Russia. Why Fury needed to send Natasha, Clint, and Steve here, I had no idea, but I was regretting only wearing my t-shirt, jeans, and brown leather jacket. After all, my biology only provided so much in the way of warmth, and it took a minute for me to adjust. After brushing some snow off my shoulders, I looked around the prison I had shown up in. Stupid Siberia and all their stupid prisons. Couldn't there be at least one real town? Then again, humans are pathetic in their ability to handle the cold. I sighed, and realized that there weren't enough shadows yet to provide the kind of thorough search I would need to look for the others. I barely had enough shadows to get myself here, as it was. I doubted that I would be able to do anything until night fell.

Unfortunately, that included avoiding the guards' attention.

"Hey! You!" I heard someone shout to me in Russian. Luckily, after living with Natasha for a while, I was able to pick the language up. "How did you get here? Why aren't you dead?"

I rolled my eyes, and stuck my tongue out to him, before taking off in the other direction. God, I love the thrill of the chase.

In fact, if I recall, that was how I ended up with the Avengers.

But, this guy seemed a lot less friendly. And, I'm fairly sure he just wants to throw me in a cell.

Wait.

A sudden thought struck me, and my stride broke for a second. The cells in this place would probably be dark enough for me to relocate myself. So, if I let myself get caught, it would actually help me. Oh, well. He had to catch me first.

I put on a burst of speed, before rounding the corner. I stopped dead as I realized that I had hit a dead end. I turned slowly, and smiled evilly as the guard caught up to me. He didn't even bother to question me further, he just handcuffed me, and took me inside. I guess it didn't matter too much who got in, so long as no one got out.

Apparently, I wasn't going to be taken to a cell at first, because- after being sanitized and forced into a prisoner's uniform- I was led to an open courtyard, with about a hundred other prisoners. They all looked tough, like they deserved every second they spent here. I rolled my eyes. Please. They thought they were tough, but I could take them all, easy. I stalked in, head high, and paused as the guards took off my handcuffs.

I slammed my fist against the wall, and called out to get their attention. "Hey!" I shouted in Russian. "Listen up! You all think you're tough; you're not. You're nothing compared to me. Imma tell you this, and Imma only tell you once. You aren't to touch me, talk to me, look at me, or even think about me. I make the rules now. If any of you have a problem with that, take it up with my fist." I raised said fist for emphasis, then walked away from the wall.

Before I got far, a big guy with a shaved head, a bunch of tattoos, and muscles the size of half a watermelon stepped up to me. "I got a problem with it. You're new here, Missy, so I'll let this one slide, but I'm the boss, and you should learn to hold your tongue, quick."

I sighed, smiled, and shook my head. "You may have been the boss. But, that title goes to me now. Should I prove to you exactly why you don't mess with me?"

The man cracked his knuckles and neck- probably to 'intimidate' me- and got into a fighting stance. I did the same, and watched as the other prisoners gathered around to watch the fight. I saw some guards, too. They probably didn't care if we killed each other, so long as we didn't escape. I turned my attention back to the man, and lazily dodged his first punch. His style was pretty much as I suspected: slow, big, and uncoordinated. The only reason he probably won his other fights was because of his strength.

Well, strength didn't work against me. I ducked under his arm, grabbing it and twisting in the process, and using it to launch myself over him, stepping on his face along the way. Facing his back now, I placed a bunch of well-aimed punches across his back with quick precision. I hit all the pressure points I needed to, and watched him freeze up. Placing my hands behind my back, I leaned forward and poked the back of his forehead, causing him to fall forward on his face. I laughed at the easy success, and looked at the spectators. Raising an eyebrow, I challenged them. "Anyone else?"

When they all shook their heads, I smiled, and turned away. "Good. We'll get along just fine, then."

So, I actually kinda liked it in the prison. I know, I know, call me crazy. But, the looks of fear that everyone gave me. My unquestioned authority. The tough atmosphere. I even made friends with the warden, so I lived better than most of the others. All this made living here kinda nice.

Well, a few days after I showed up, there was a big commotion in the courtyard. I was sleeping in my room, but I was woken up by cheering. I swung myself out of bed, and made my way out. One of my privileges was free roam of most of the prison. So, none of the guards stopped me when I waltzed into the courtyard, at the edge of a big crowd. It must be a fight. I walked up to the edge, and lightly punched Boulder's arm. He was the one I had beaten my first day, and he had become my second-in-command.

He turned to me, and raised an eyebrow. I nodded my head to the front, silently asking what's going on.

"Newbs. Mad Dog's fighting her right now," he explained.

"How many?" I asked.

"Three. She's really good," Boulder said. "Like, maybe better than you."

Hearing this, I punched his arm, hard, making him yelp. "No one is better than me. Let's go."

I let out an ear-piercing whistle, and yelled out. "Move aside, Top Dog, coming through!"

This effectively cleared the crowd, and I walked up the newly-created walkway. "Yo, Newbs!"

I called out to them, and they turned to face me. I gasped, remembering why I was in Siberia in the first place.

Because in front of me was Natasha, Clint, And Steve.

In a Siberian prison.

My Siberian prison.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N- yeah, this one is kinda shorter. Sorry about that, guys. Hopefully the next ones will be longer.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

I grinned from ear-to-ear, but the others just reacted with expressions conflicting between boredom (Natasha), and suspicion. I realized that they wouldn't know about my regenerating, and, if they did, that wouldn't know what I looked like. I laughed, and walked up to Natasha, making a show of circling her, and looking her over. I smirked, and looked out t the crowd. "Well. I may just have a new Second!"

Turning back to her, I got into a fighting stance. "Let's see how good you are against a real opponent."

She got into a stance to, and we began to fight, engaging in a violent dance of dodging, punching, flipping, and other acrobatics, using any advantage we could to win. I thought back to before I move out, when Natasha would give me fighting lessons. All those painful hours came in use here, me now knowing all of her moves. But, this new body had a slight advantage... A new fighting style. I cartwheeled backwards, before flipping over Natasha's head and kicking her in the face. Before I could, however, she grabbed my foot, and tried to flip me off balance. I smirked, anticipating this. I landed on my hands, and did a front handspring, launching her over, onto her back, and pinning her with my legs. I counted to three, before standing up, and offering her a hand.

The prisoners cheered to see their leader victorious, but Steve, Clint, and Natasha were looking at me with suspicious awe. After all, very, very few people could beat the great Natasha Romanoff at hand-to-hand combat. I smirked, and jerked my head, motioning that they follow me.

They did so, though they were wary. I led them to my cell, and perched on the edge of the bed. I motioned for them to sit in any of the chairs that I had in here.

"So," I cocked my head. "Miss me?"

"Who are you?" Natasha asked, emotionless. She was in full interrogation-mode, now.

I just shook my head, and made the room pitch-black, before allowing the light to come back. They all gasped, and looked at me closely.

"Nocte?" Steve asked.

I smiled, and nodded. "No one can replicate my powers. I came back, about three weeks ago. Two and a half of which, I was here."

"Why?" Clint asked.

"I was looking for you, originally." I shrugged. "But, I got a bit sidetracked. I actually kinda like it here."

They looked at me like I was crazy. Natasha especially. "You do realize where you are, right?"

"Of course," I replied. "I'm in a Siberian prison. But, I don't get cold easily. Combine that with being on good terms with the warden, and the Big Boss of the prisoners, and life can be pretty good here, for a badass b*tch like me."

Clint just laughed, and shook his head. "You really haven't changed much, have you?"

"Nope!" I said, popping the 'p'. "So, what brings you all here?"

"We got arrested for a mission," Steve replied. "There's a Hydra soldier here, who we know as a fact is up to something."

I nodded. "That'd be Dynamite. He's the shadiest here, and is always smuggling stuff in and out. So, I looked into him a bit, and he broke after three minutes of interrogation."

Natasha gave me a slightly-almost-impressed look. "Good. We'll apprehend him, and then get out."

I nodded, and stood up. "I'll take us back to the Helicarrier once we have him."

We walked out of the room, and were back with Fury, Tony, and Bruce in a matter of twenty minutes.

I grinned at the Avengers that we had assembled. "Great. Now, we just need Thor and Loki. Any ideas for an Asgardian prison break-out?"

 **A/N- yay! Asgardian prison breakout next chapter! You know what that means! More Loki! Remember to review, fav, follow, and PM me. Also, remember to ask my OCs questions so that I can update that story.**


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